Installation means for built-in range



July 28, 1964 R. w. BLEE INSTALLATION MEANS FOR BUILT-IN RANGE Filed April 12, 1963 INVENTOR. W. BLEE ROBERT F'IGA- BY M ms ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,142,295 INSTALLATION MEANS FOR BUILT-IN RANGE Robert W. Blee, Louisville, Ky., assignor to General Electric Company, a corporation of New York Filed Apr. 12, 1963, Ser. No. 272,730 3 Claims. (Cl. 126-37) The present invention relates to a design of one-piece built-in range for domestic use and particularly to such a range that is adapted to be mounted in a notched kitchen counter. This invention is an improvement over the range design in the Nielsen Patent 3,051,160 which is likewise assigned to the General Electric Company, the assignee of the present invention.

For many years, almost all domestic ranges were freestanding ranges that included both a top cooking surface and an oven, and they were considered more as personal property rather than as real property by being attached to the realty within the kitchen cabinets. Within the last twenty years there has been a trend toward built-in appliances and especially built-in ranges where the cooking surface is separated from the oven and is mounted in the kitchen counter, while the oven is recessed in a wall structure and only the control panel and oven door are visible when the door is closed. The design of the above-cited Nielsen patent is a pioneer design that has started a trend of a new line of ranges; namely, a compromise design between a free-standing range and a builtin range where the oven is combined with the cooktop as in free-standing ranges but the complete unit is mounted or built into the kitchen counter to present a modern look.

The principal object of the present invention is to provide a one-piece built-in range that is adapted to be suspended in place in a notched kitchen counter where the design is a universal design that can be adapted to all of the variety of countertops now available on the market with a minimum amount of carpentry preparation.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a suspended range design of the class described where there is a vertically adjustable cover means cooperating with the front side edges of the range for closing against the underside of the countertop of any of the designs available on the market so as to present a finished appearance.

The present invention in accordance with one form thereof embodies a one-piece built-in range with a combined cooktop and an oven that is located therebeneath. Supporting flanges extend outwardly from the side and rear edges of the range adjacent the top surface of the cooktop. This range is adapted to be mounted in a notched kitchen counter so that the supporting flanges bear on the edges of the notch in the countertop. The range is recessed into the counter so that only the cook top and the oven door are visible when the door is closed. .A trim strip is arranged along the frontmost vertical side of the side walls of the range to attain a degree of adjustment of the range into the notched counter. Each trim strip is provided with a top cut-out portion to accommodate the various sizes and shapes of countertops. Moreover, each trim strip is provided with a vertically adjustable closing member which is adapted to be raised and fastened to the underside of the countertop to present a finished appearance.

My invention will be better understood from the following description taken in conjunction with the accom panying drawing and its scope will be pointed out in the appended claims.

FIGURE 1 is an isometric view of a notched kitchen counter that is designed to receive the one-piece built-in range embodying the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is an isometric view similar to that of "ice FIGURE 1 after the range embodying the present invention has been installed in the counter;

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary View of the right side top front corner of the range of FIGURE 2 showing the nature of the adjustable cover member attached to the underside of the countertop;

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary cross-sectional bottom plan view taken on the line 44 of FIGURE 3 showing the manner of supporting and guiding the adjustable cover member in the trim strip at the front corners of the range.

Turning to a consideration of the drawing and in particular to FIGURE 1, there is shown a kitchen counter cabinet 10 that is provided with a countertop 11 and a vertical front panel 12 which is shown as being provided with a cabinet door 13 supported by the side hinges 14- for gaining access to the interior of the cabinet. The cabinet also includes the necessary side walls 15 and 16 and a back wall 17 for completing the box-like structure of the cabinet. As in standard kitchen cabinet designs the lower portion of the front wall 12 of the cabinet is set back adjacent the floor as at 18 to provide a toe-kick so that a person may stand close to the front of the cabinet with the toes located under the front wall 12. The front edge 19 of the countertop 11 overhangs the front wall 12 of the cabinet. The countertop 11 is cut out to form a horizontal notch having opposite side edges 20 and 21 and a back edge 22. Likewise, the front wall 12 of the cabinet is cut out to form a vertical notch having opposite side edges 23 and 24 and a bottom edge 25 that is defined by a base panel 26.

A one-piece built-in range 30 as shown in FIGURE 2 is adapted to be installed in the notched counter cabinet of FIGURE 1. This range includes a top cooking surface 31 and an underlying oven 32. The cooktop 31 is provided with a plurality of heating means 33 that would be either surface heating elements or gas burners. Along the front edge of the cooktop is a control panel 34 in which are mounted the necessary heating controls such as thermostats, timers and control switches or valves for both the cooktop 31 and the oven 32. Beneath the control panel 34 is the oven door 35 having a handle 36. The oven door 35 is a front-opening drop door for gaining access to the cooking cavity.

As seen in FIGURE 2, the cooktop 31 is recessed slightly beneath the top surface of the countertop 11 which serves to enhance the built-in appearance of this range. Around the three sides of the cooktop 31 is an outwardly directed horizontal flange 37, 33 and 39 which serves to overlie the three edges 20, 22 and 21 respectively of the notched countertop 11 as is taught in the abovecited Nielsen patent. The front side edges of the side walls of the range 34 are each provided with a trim strip 40 which extends from the bottom of the range up to the side flanges, either 37 or 39. The top portion of this trim strip 40 as is best seen in FIGURE 3, is cut out as at 41 so as to accommodate the overhang of any size and shape of countertop 11 that is now available on the market. The typical types of countertops are either fiat wood paneling with a squared-01f overhang, wood paneling with a bull nose front edge, ceramic tile or wood paneling covered with a top surface of laminated plastic such as is being sold under the trademark Textolite. Such countertops vary in thickness as well as in the front edge treatment and it is important to design a built-in range that will accommodate all of the known types of countertops so as to reduce the amount of carpentry preparation necessary to install the range with a custom fit into the counter. The cut-out portion 41 has a horizontal lower edge 42 and a vertical frontmost edge 43 which is spaced back from the frontmost surface of the range.

Some provision should he made for closing the cut-out portion 41 so as to complete the appearance treatment of the range, as well as to prevent foreign objects from falling into the range body and to eliminate sharp edges which might serve to cut the fingers of a person working around the range. A vertically adjustable closing member 45 of plate-like construction is mounted within the top portion of the sheet metal trim strip 40 and supported by a backing plate 46, as best seen in FIGURE 4, so as to slide along the back surface of the trim strip 40. This closing member 45 is capable of being raised until it bears against the underside of the countertop 11, as best seen in FIGURE 3. The top edge of the closing member 45 is provided with a fastening tab 47 that extends at right angles to the closing member. A hole 48 is formed in this tab 47 for receiving a nail or fastening screw 49 which extends into the countertop 11 for permanently aflixing the closing member to bridge the gap in the cut-out portion 41 between the trim strip 40 and the underside of the countertop 11.

Modifications of this invention will occur to those skilled in this art, therefore it is to be understood that this invention is not limited to the particular embodiment disclosed but that it is intended to cover all modifications which are within the true spirit and scope of this invention as claimed.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A one-piece built-in range comprising a combined cooktop and oven wherein the cooktop is provided with a plurality of surface heating units mounted therewith and the oven is disposed directly beneath the cooktop, supporting flanges extending outwardly from the side and rear edges of the range adjacent the top surface of the cooktop, said flanges being adapted to form a supporting means with relation to a kitchen counter in which the range is to be mounted, each frontmost vertical side of the side walls of the range being provided with a wide trim strip to attain a degree of adjustment between the range and counter-front when inserted therein, each of said wide trim strips being generally parallel to the side walls and having a topmost portion that stops short of the related supporting side flanges to present a cut-out to accommodate different sizes and shapes of countertop front edges, there being means including a vertically adjustable closing member assembled within the trim strip, said closing member being capable of being raised and fastened to the underside of the countertop so as to close the cut-out in the trim strip.

2. A one-piece built-in range comprising a combined cooktop and oven wherein the cooktop is provided with a plurality of surface heating units mounted therewith and the oven is disposed directly beneath the cooktop, supporting flanges extending outwardly from the side and rear edges of said range adjacent the top surface of the cooktop, said flanges being adapted to form a supporting means with relation to a kitchen counter in which the range is to be mounted, each frontmost vertical side of the side walls of the range being provided with a wide trim strip that is notched at the top to accommodate the front overhang of the top of the counter, each of said wide trim strips being generally parallel to the side walls and provided with means including a vertically slidable plate which is adapted to be raised and fastened to the underside of the countertop so as to close the notch in the top portion of the trim strip.

3. A one-piece built-in range adapted to be supported as a unit from the top surface of a kitchen counter structure which is provided with a notch in said top surface extending through the front thereof and a notch in the front surface of the counter to receive said range, said range comprising a cooktop having a plurality of surface heating units and an oven located under the cooktop, the uppermost surface of the cooktop and the front of the oven having an appearance finish while the remaining surfaces of the range have a non-appearance finish, supporting flanges projecting outwardly adjacent the upper two sides and rear edge of the cooktop, and adapted to form a supporting edge with relation to the counter in which it is mounted, the range being adapted to be moved by sliding the range as a unit on its flanges in the manner of a sliding drawer into the notches until the range completely closes the notches in the counter with only the appearance finish of the cooktop and the oven front visible, each frontmost vertical side of the side walls of the range being provided with a wide trim strip, each trim strip being generally parallel to the side walls and notched adjacent the top portion thereof to accommodate the overhang of the countertop, and means including a vertically adjustable closing plate cooperating with the trim strip so that the plate may be raised and fastened to the underside of the countertop.

Williams Apr. 2, 1957 Nielsen Aug. 28, 1962 

1. A ONE-PIECE BUILT-IN RANGE COMPRISING A COMBINED COOKTOP AND OVEN WHEREIN THE COOKTOP IS PROVIDED WITH A PLURALITY OF SURFACE HEATING UNITS MOUNTED THEREWITH AND THE OVEN IS DISPOSED DIRECTLY BENEATH THE COOKTOP, SUPPORTING FLANGES EXTENDING OUTWARDLY FROM THE SIDE AND REAR EDGES OF THE RANGE ADJACENT THE TOP SURFACE OF THE COOKTOP, SAID FLANGES BEING ADAPTED TO FORM A SUPPORTING MEANS WITH RELATION TO A KITCHEN COUNTER IN WHICH THE RANGE IS TO BE MOUNTED, EACH FRONTMOST VERTICAL SIDE OF THE SIDE WALLS OF THE RANGE BEING PROVIDED WITH A WIDE TRIM STRIP TO ATTAIN A DEGREE OF ADJUSTMENT BETWEEN THE RANGE AND COUNTER-FRONT WHEN INSERTED THEREIN, EACH OF 